Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-28
One thousand Men Employed on the
Coal Wharves Quit Work.
A General Strike May Result on All
the Lines.
The Trouble Caused by Employment
OF Nom Union Laborers.
A Coal Firm Ask Judicial Interior
ence, Charging Conspiracy.
Tho Road to Pass Out OF the Receiv-
er's Hands in Two Days.

PHILADELPHIA, December 2H.-Over one
thousand men employed by the Philad
phia & Reading Railroad Company on their
lines running from West Falls to the Port
Richmond coal wharves, either as train
men, coal handlers or freight handlers,
quit work at half-past four. This action
was caused by the introduction OF a train
crew of five n%on-union men to do the work
upon which union men ave been employed,
but who have been discharged. This move
ment will be communicated to all en-
ployes of the road and a general strike on
all the ines of the company may be the re
suit. The trouble originated yesterday,
when a crew of freight handlers
engaged in shifting cars loaded with
-four into a pier controlled by
the firm of Charles NJ. Taylor's Sons re-
fused to deliver any more freight to the
firm unless non-union laborers employed
in handling freight should be discharged.
Superintendent Sweigard issued an order
~discharging the crew who refused to handle
the freight and threatening the same pun
ishment to other crews who would follow
the precedent. All the remaining force,
which consisted Of four crews, refusing to
obey the order, were discharged. News OF
the discharge quickly spread and this after
noon. when a crew OF n0n-union men was
put to work, every other employe struck.
A large police force is on hand to protect
the company's property.
JUDICIAL INTERFERENCE vi
PHILADELPHIA, December 20. Counsel
for Cole Brothers & Co.. to-day asked ju-
dicial inte, ference in the coal miners strike
under a petition presented in the United
States Circuit Court. A specific instance
made is that complainant had a contract
with the Reading Coal and Iron Company
for a large amount OF coal deliverable free
at Elizabethport. Complainants wished
it loaded on one of their large barges, but
Reading was unable to do SO, offering in
stead to deliver in a Reading
boat with charges for freight. Pc
~titioners allege the refusal
to load is due to an illegal conspiracy be-
tween certain Reading employees and the
striking Luzerne County miners, and is
done to hinder the petitioners business be-
cause they have refused to accede to the
striking miners demands. An order vas
asked for the loading of the Goa upon the
grounds the petitioners need prompt
relief before their barge is boycotted away
from Elizabethport. Judge Butler refused
the request. He said the property OF the
Reading Company will. within two days,
pass out OF the hands of the receiver and
also the petitioners have a remedy in a
suit at law for any damages they may sus-
tain at the hands of the receiver.
GENERAL STRIKE IMMINENT.
Representatives OF five assemblies OF
Reading employees who have formed a Ma
tional District Assembly OF Knights OF
Labor, met tonight and called a general
convention for tomorrow afternoon. It
is asserted tonight that word has been
passed along the entire Reading system,
and that the thirty or forty thousand men
in the employ OF the company will quit
work tomorrow. At the office of the
Reading Company it is stated that the
clear duty OF the company as a common
carrier to deliver merchandise to whomso-
ever it is consigned, without regard to any
question between the consignee and his
employees, pade it necessary for the
company to order, that the cars be moved
in Port Richmond, and if the men refused,
to discharge them. The same was true of
the trouble at Elizabethport with Cole &
Co.'s coal barges.